Islamabad: All the Roots campuses focus on science and social studies projects that highlighted the importance of documenting, collecting and analysing data expanding the horizons of the young minds by exposing them to new ideas and the importance of team work.

Students showed their skills by coming up with exceptional projects, which showcased their talents and improved their critical thinking. Roots Montessori had an open day based on the theme of summer splash/ beach day. Branches were decorated with all the summer and beach hues, making this experience a memorable one for the kids. The aim was to introduce the children to the summer delights, encouraging them to explore their surroundings through these enterprising activities.

Rawalpindi: Central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Pirzada Rahat Quddusi has called upon the students that they should leave no stone unturned to equip themselves with the contemporary education to successfully cope with the future challenges.

According to a press release, he stated this while addressing ‘Fun Gala 2012’ jointly organized by the Jinnah Institute of Informatics and Commerce (JIIC) and Rawalpindi College of Commerce (RCC) here at the Rawalpindi Arts Council.

He said extra curricular activities help in boosting the skills of the students besides developing positive thinking among them.

Appreciating the efforts of the students, he advised them to further enhance their abilities in their respective fields. Pirzada Rahat Quddusi said that both JIIC and RCC are striving to impart quality education among its students. He said hundreds of graduates of both the institutions are successfully extending their skills at renowned institutes, departments and government functionaries across the country. JIIC Principal Masood Sultan Chaudhry also addressed on the occasion.

Everyone should eat a healthy, balanced and nutrient-rich diet, especially seniors, who have special nutritional needs.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says these nutrients are especially important as we get older:

* Vitamin D and calcium, through fortified foods, low-fat dairy products, leafy green vegetables and fish.

* Vitamin B12, through fish, seafood, lean meats and vitamin B12-fortified cereals.

* Fiber, through fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

* Potassium, through fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

* Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, rather than saturated or trans fats.

Islamabad

The spring meeting of the English Speaking Union (ESU) was held at the residence of its patron, British High Commissioner Adam Thomson and besides members, there were some wannabe persons as well who came to check out what the ESU is all about. After this very pleasant social interaction, it’s certain the membership must have risen by a few persons! After a period of waiting for everyone to arrive, guests were led to the free seating set-up; chose the persons they wanted to sit with during dinner and partook of the delicious meal served on the occasion — the Persian rice being particularly appreciated by many guests. The formal part of the evening took place between the meal and dessert.

Welcoming members president ESU, Lieutenant General (r) Masood Akram said the members were grateful to the high commissioner for so generously allowing them to hold this meeting in the premises of the high commission with its delightful ambiance. “The ESU is getting used to these indulgences by the high commissioner,” he said. “The subject that His Excellency has chosen to talk to us about is indeed fascinating. He will regale us with an account of how five generations of his family have contributed to the evolution of UK ties with the sub-continent.”

Adding a few words about the ESU, which was established in 1918 and now encompasses 62 countries, he said its membership is devoted to the principle of global understanding through the use of the English language to further relations and promote better understanding between people of all countries, achieved through regular meetings, conferences, lectures, debates and other activities.

The host then gave an out of the ordinary account of his family’s involvement in the affairs of the sub-continent beginning from the time when the British realised that being in ‘Hindustan’ as benign traders and living the good life was not quite the thing to do and began to assert their authority in a more controlling manner. Strait-laced men and British soldiers, accompanied by their womenfolk, began coming to the sub-continent and changed the manner in which the country was run and it became more like a British colony. Laced with anecdotes that were both amusing and thought provoking, he brought to life a history many ESU members probably learned as children but is tucked away in their memory as part of their experience of school — or maybe even did not know anything about. As the narrative progressed it was somewhat like a reading from a book about colonial times and with a few exceptions when someone or the other chipped in with a question, was listened to in silence and with great interest.

In conclusion, ESU VP Parvin Malik thanked the host for giving such fascinating talk and opened the floor for a question and answer session. General Secretary, Muzaffar Qurashi gave the formal vote of thanks.

PSF youth storm BISP office Islamabad: Dozens of angry youth of People’s Students Federation (PSF) stormed into the head office of Benazir Income Supports Programme (BISP) at J-Block in Pak Secretariat on Friday. They ransacked the office saying that their own government was ignoring them, the BISP sources said. The PSF youth broke windowpanes and destroyed the furniture during the rampage. A police team of the Secretariat police station rushed to the scene and tackled the situation but the angry youth refused to disperse without a meeting with BISP Chief Farzana Raja. However, a meeting with Farzana Raja was arranged to redress their grievances and the issue was resolved.

Karachi

According to a notification by the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK), all the examinations of classes XI and XII which were scheduled for today will now be held after May 28 due to the Sindh government’s decision to observe Saturdays as a weekly holiday. This was decided at a meeting of the examination conduct committee of the board. According to the new schedule, the papers scheduled for May 12 will be held on May 29, the May 19 papers will be held on May 30, and the May 26 papers will be held on May 31.

NEW: Cabinet includes 12 new ministersThree members of the old guard remain in the cabinetForeign Minister Kamel Morjane, a holdover from the ousted president’s government, quitsBen Ali fled Tunisia on January 14 after weeks of protests

Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) — Tunisia’s unity government weathered another shake-up Thursday as the foreign minister resigned and Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced the composition of a cabinet that includes 12 new ministers.

Nine ministers stayed in office from an interim government announced last week, Ghannouchi said in a televised address.

Ghannouchi ousted key ministers belonging to former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally, known by its French acronym, RCD.

The move came amid calls from street protesters for the ouster of old-guard officials.

Demonstrators have camped out in front of the capital’s government palace for five days, with some calling for Ghannouchi to step down.

The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), the main force behind the current protests against the interim government, endorsed the new cabinet, which is expected to boost its credibility among protesters.

In a speech broadcast on Tunisian television, Ghannouchi announced new ministers of interior, defense, religious affairs, health and finance. None of the new ministers are from Ben Ali’s defunct political party.

Ghannouchi, Development and International Cooperation Minister Nouri Jouini and Industry and Technology Minister Afif Chelbi are the only members of the cabinet who once belonged to RCD.

Some of the new appointees had been living overseas in other countries, including France and Morocco.

Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane was a holdover from Ben Ali’s government, having served as foreign minister for about a year and as defense minister before that.

There was no immediate explanation for his resignation, but Ahmed Ouneies was named his replacement.

Morjane quit the RCD last week.

Ghannouchi on Thursday reiterated his intent to organize the first free elections in Tunisia since independence.

Ben Ali fled Tunisia for Saudi Arabia on January 14 after weeks of citizen protests against poor living conditions, high unemployment, government corruption and repression. The United Nations says the protests have left more than 100 dead.

U.S. diplomatic cables released since November by the website WikiLeaks painted a scathing portrait of Ben Ali and his relatives, describing the extended family as a “quasi-mafia” that pushed businesses for a slice of any venture they were involved in.

Tunisian authorities announced Wednesday that they had issued an arrest warrant for the ex-leader, his wife and several of their relatives. Tunisian Justice Minister Lazhar Karoui Chebbi said they face a variety of charges, such as maintaining and exporting foreign currency illegally, carrying weapons and ammunition without licenses, and inciting armed violence between Tunisians.

Some of Ben Ali’s relatives have been arrested and others are still at large, he said in remarks carried by the state news agency, Tunis Afrique Presse.

Ban Ki-moon said political leaders must protect protesters’ human rights and respect their freedom of expression.Ban Ki-moon urges political leaders to respect protesters’ human rights, protect their freedom of expressionKofi Annan says unrest shows there is a serious need for change in the regionThousands took to streets of Cairo Friday to call for an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year-rule

(CNN) — U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged embattled leaders in the Middle East and North Africa to listen to the wishes of their own people, as civil unrest spreads across the region.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Cairo on Friday to call for an end to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian 30-year rule.

The demonstrations came after similar anti-government protests in Tunisia toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ban told CNN he was concerned at the growing potential for violence, and had called on political leaders to act responsibly.

“Leaders have a … responsibility to listen more attentively to the challenges and wishes of their own people,” he said, urging them to “provide decent jobs and opportunities to engage more constructively in their social and political life — this is what has been lacking.

“I have been urging the authorities, first of all, that freedom of expression, freedom of association should be fully respected, and they should also protect the human rights of those people.”

Ban said he hoped the region’s leaders would see the situation “as an opportunity to heed their own people’s wishes,” and called on them to preserve democracy and restore peace and stability.

His predecessor as U.N. chief, Kofi Annan, told CNN it was “too quick” to say if the protests would spread further in the coming weeks.

“What is important is that people are clamoring for democracy and the right to participate in government.

“These are signs that there is a need for serious changes in these countries, and the leaders have to take that on board and respond appropriately,” he said.

“We need to be careful that some leaders may think ‘It’s time to calm down — you give an inch and you will be overwhelmed’ — that approach will not work.

ISLAMABAD, May 3: Good art speaks for itself. And in a breath of fresh air, Javaid Khan’s works of photography spoke plenty at Gallery Louvre on Thursday as Khan presented his first unconventional work of photography in Islamabad.

Khan is a prolific photographer who has been photographing nature for several years and has traveled all over Pakistan capturing it at its finest moments and has also got published locally as well as internationally. He can be especially recognised by the photographs decorating the travel cards produced by Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).

But with this exhibition, Khan has delved into creating more deliberate art by controlling the elements that come together in his pictures and has managed to create beautiful prints that look almost painted rather than photographed.

Khan’s backgrounds are waves of smudged colours, resplendent and vibrant in some pieces while dull and contrasting in others. And in sharp contrast to the organised chaos of blurred colours merging into one, stood the sharply focused subject of beautifully detailed flowers and leaves.

“I’ve been going out in the world taking pictures all over Pakistan but that was straight nature photography – this is the first time that I have tried this kind of a project,” explained the artist himself, a friendly, soft-spoken person willing to let his work speak for itself.

What was different about this photography project is that Javaid plants the contents of the photograph using different elements and decides what kind of result he wants. “This is more deliberate, I took my time setting the scene,” he explained.

And he used paint and glass and food colorings, some times even ice, to set the backgrounds that bring out the simple and natural subjects of flowers and leaves in unique ways.

Khan’s work is also unique because he manages to obtain a completely non-photographic texture and feel using simply a camera and without any post processing or editing in any form. This shows a true mastery of the medium that he has chosen.

When asked how he chooses his content, Khan did not try to make it deeper than it is. “Oh I have just been photographing nature around the world for years, and now that I don’t travel as much any more, I decided to limit myself to the two-mile radius around my house,” he explained.

And in the local world of art, perhaps this kind of simple dedication is what is missing from right now. While many of the new artists try to find depth in their content or take on larger than life issues, they are several times unable to successfully communicate it in their art.

“Content of art today…frankly I don’t understand it,” said Khan, talking about most recent art being launched in local galleries, “The floozy drawings coming out just make it seem like the artists don’t know how to draw the real thing.

“Yes, one should try out abstract, but even the great masters first mastered an understanding of how to replicate the real thing and then ventured into the abstract.”

And this is also what Khan did. He practiced basic natural photography for years before venturing into abstractions and taking more deliberate control of the objects of his photographs.

ISLAMABAD, May 3: Good art speaks for itself. And in a breath of fresh air, Javaid Khan’s works of photography spoke plenty at Gallery Louvre on Thursday as Khan presented his first unconventional work of photography in Islamabad.

(Dawn)

LAHORE, May 3: Demanding higher pay scales, better allowances and job quota for their wards etc, hundreds of schoolteachers held a meeting-cum-demo at Nasser Bagh on Thursday, besides staging five sit-ins on The Mall.

They announced that they would boycott all non-academic duties as the authorities concerned had been ignoring their longstanding demands.

The demo-meeting was called by the Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) and the Joint Action Committee of Teachers (JACT), Punjab.

Attended by teachers from across the province, the protest meeting began at 10:45am instead of its scheduled time of 8am where participants chanted slogans against the Punjab government and demanded their genuine demands should be met.

PTU central president Syed Sajjad Akbar Kazmi said the teachers’ leaders had been conveying to the people at the helm of affairs teachers’ problems but in vain. The government had compelled the teachers to take to streets, he added.

Later, the protesters came on The Mall, removing barricades placed there by police.

They staged a sit-in in front of Punjab University’s Old Campus and then moved on. Their second sit-in was at the GPO Chowk, third at Regal Chowk, fourth at Faisal Chowk and the final sit-in was staged in front of Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Traffic on The Mall remained choked till the protesters dispersed around 2:15pm.

Speaking to protesters in front of CM’s Secretariat, PTU and JACT leaders Syed Sajjad Akbar Kazmi, Rana Liaquat, Rana Atta and Aslam Ghuman said the government was continuously insulting teachers.

They said the government policies were causing sense of insecurity among teachers. They also termed Chief Minister School Education Road Map a fraud.

Listing teachers’ demands, Mr Kazmi said primary and elementary teachers should be given BPS-16, SSTs be given BPS-17, while Subject Specialists be given BPS-18.

He said the government should either give time-scale promotions to teachers or incentive package against all sanctioned posts of teachers.

The PTU president demanded that teachers’ pay scales should be revised by merging 65 per cent ad hoc relief. He said the house rent and medical allowance should be raised up to 60 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, while conveyance allowance should be doubled.

He said the benevolent fund should be transferred to the Punjab Teacher Foundation and the body should be made functional.

PTU and JACT leaders also demanded teachers’ appointment according to the sanctioned strength, in-service quota promotions, job quota for teachers’ wards as well as fee waiver for their higher studies.

The teachers also demanded that students should be given the choice to opt for either Urdu medium or English medium education in public sector colleges.

They demanded that ‘interference’ of NGOs, board of governors and monitoring cells in school education should be abolished.

They also demanded that school education should not be placed under local governments, as being proposed.

They warned if their demands were not accepted at the earliest, they would stage a protest sit-in in front of Parliament House in Islamabad on May 16.

(Dawn)